


Tengoku to Jigoku

by Tamisin (Cenaskya)



Category: Okami
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Flashbacks, Gen, Original Character(s), POV Third Person, Plot Twists, Some Humor, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-11-10 13:10:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cenaskya/pseuds/Tamisin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1000 years after Nagi defeated Orochi, a girl seeks refuge under the branches of an ancient cherry blossom tree. This girl, chased by demons, has been able to see spirits since birth. It is beneath Konohana's sacred boughs that she meets the reincarnation of the evil fox, Ninetails, and begins a journey of second chances. Even the origin of darkness itself can be saved. AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Great Creation

_1,000 years ago  
_

In the beginning, there were many kami, or spirits. Back then, they were free of attachments. They inhabited the Earth peacefully, and for a long time, all was well.

However, the kami became so plentiful that space began to run out, leaving them at war.

The war went on for eons, and over time, the weakest spirits died, leaving a corpse for evil energy of the void to inhabit. These beings were hostile towards all kami, and eventually became their own species: youkai, or demons. They slaughtered the helpless kami to near extinction, and soon, the Creators were involved.

Angered at the fate of the kami, the Creators cursed the youkai to be shunned by the light, and forced to torment humans instead. The greatly weakened kami now could not survive on their own, so the Creators decreed that kami shall always be attached to something, for their survival. One of the Creators, Izanagi, created three ruling kami to govern the lesser kami. These gods are known as Amaterasu (the sun), Tsukuyomi (the moon), and Susano'o (the sea and storms). And for many centuries, there was peace.

But then, a calamity fell to the Earth, known as Yamato no Orochi. He was a giant snake with eight heads, eight tails, commanded eight elements, and had the body of a mountain. No one knows where he came from, or why he landed on Earth next, but it is only certain that Orochi was as evil as darkness himself. See, he landed near a beautiful little hamlet named Kamiki, but it is here that he reaped his power. On the full moon each year, a white-plumed arrow would mark the house of a maiden chosen by Orochi. This maiden was then sacrificed to Orochi to ensure his long life. If Kamiki refused, Orochi would wipe the village off the face of the Earth. This went on for 100 years, until the 100th maiden was chosen, Nami.

It was during this time that a white wolf had been seen patrolling the streets every night leading up to the full moon. The villagers immediately believed it to be one of Orochi's minions, and that it was inspecting the villagers for a suitable sacrifice. The warrior of the village, a man named Nagi, challenged the wolf many times, but to no avail. The wolf proved to be very agile, and continuously thwarted any attempts of Nagi by avoiding him with swift movements.

Now, Nagi was in love with the sacrifice-to-be, Nami. He could not bear the thought of her being eaten by the vile snake, so he dressed up as a sacrifice and went in her place, to fool Orochi. He took with him a strong sake known as 8-Purification sake (made by Nami herself), because Nagi knew that Orochi's one weakness was alcohol.

When Nagi was finally brought before Orochi, he poured the sake down the snake's throat and drew his sword. Knowing his cover was blown, he commenced the attack.

Nagi slashed at Orochi, but he was dismayed to find that the snake's scales were harder than steel, and that his sword was deflected. Nagi persevered, but was beaten back gradually until he fell, covered in wounds, and could not pick himself off the ground. Orochi, knowing that he had nothing to fear, lunged for Nagi with his fangs ready for the final blow... when he was blocked by the white wolf.

Cheated of his victory, Orochi roared his anger and attacked the wolf with fire, but a divine wind blew back the flames. He used all eight of his elements against the wolf, but again and again, each and every one of them were rendered useless by the mysterious wolf's power. The battle went on for hours and eventually, the wolf was exhausted.

Just as the wolf was about to collapse with fatigue, it howled, and the moon came out. Its rays shone on Nagi's sword, turning it silver. Suddenly, Nagi jumped at Orochi, catching the tired snake by surprise, and severed each of his necks in eight clean strokes that radiated power. The monster was defeated, and to make sure that the horrible serpent would never come back, Nagi sealed him with his sword.

Then, the victorious warrior picked up the fallen wolf and brought it back to Kamiki village. The villagers hailed the returning heroes, and they named the white wolf Shiranui, in honor of its beautiful coat. However, their triumph was not without cost.

Shiranui's fur was scored in slashes, and it had lost a lot of blood. It yowled pitifully, then fell still. Shiranui was dead.

In its memory, the villagers erected a statue at the base of a sacred cherry blossom tree, Konohana, and it is said to protect Kamiki village to this very day. The land has been peaceful ever since.

However, this is not the end of our story.

When 100 years had passed, Amaterasu appeared in a dream to Queen Himiko, the ruler of Nippon at that time. The goddess foretold the revival of a long-forgotten enemy, and the advent of a new hero, one that would destroy darkness forever.

Startled at the prophecy of doom, Himiko scrambled to prepare her country for the coming enemy. But it never came. Nippon waited, and waited, and waited. It waited for so long, that the prophecy was forgotten by the people completely, save the oldest kami. Nippon had forgotten the warning words of a goddess, and it would be a fatal mistake.

Now, it would seem that I have yet to introduce myself to you, stranger.

I am Sakuya, the kami of the aforementioned cherry blossom tree, Konohana. I have lived for thousands of years, and have witnessed the evolution of humanity in its entirety. I watched as they carved the statue of Shiranui that lies at my roots, I watched as they learned of the prophecy, and I watched as they lost faith and forgot it. I would have waited forever for the fulfillment of Amaterasu's words...

And then, _she_ arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the whole recap, but I wanted to make some miniscule edits to general history and legends to fit the idea I have for this fic. Who knows, maybe you learned something, or maybe not. Also, if you didn't know some of the Japanese terms used in this chapter, tell me which ones in a review or a private message and I'll send you a translation via P.M. And FYI, the title of this story literally means 'Heaven and Hell', or 'High and Low'. Next chapter: Me meet our heroine. (She's not Amaterasu, but an OC. Sorry to disappoint. Hopefully, she'll be satisfactory.)


	2. The Demonic Girl

_Present Day_

It was a blistering hot summer day. I remember how the heat hung in the air, undisturbed with the lack of a breeze. The branches of my tree creaked with age, and I was dozing among my much younger brethren of the park. It was on this day that I first sensed her aura, lingering around my roots.

The aura of darkness itself.

It was then that I recalled Amaterasu's ancient prophecy, and realized what she meant; that the enemy had been revived. I quickly rose above Konohana, searching for the source of the aura, and found a girl around the age of fifteen collapsed at my base.

I was confused, at first. How could such an innocent-looking young girl emit such a powerful evil aura? She was no youkai, I was sure. But, I knew from experience that appearances can be deceiving, and I was wary. So, I floated down to take a closer look.

She had long auburn hair, tied up into a braid. Normal enough, I supposed. She wore a beaten old sweater and shorts, and her sneakers had clearly seen better days. I assumed she must have been either a runaway or homeless, if her run-down clothing was any indication. There was also a backpack thrown haphazardly on the ground beside her.

I wondered if I should let the fox deal with her, to see if she was truly the enemy Amaterasu had warned of so many centuries ago. It would give him something to do rather than roll around in the heat, waiting for some youkai to show up for him to snack on. Besides, it would be just another thing added to the list of deeds he's done that merits him forgiveness by the gods. If she was hostile, he could eat her; and if she was not, he could help her out. It was the perfect arrangement.

So, I circled my tree until I came to the fox's den in my roots. He had been resting, trying to sleep away the summer heat in the somewhat cooler ground. Sometimes, I've found myself grateful that I don't have the thick fur he does. Being a tree has it's perks. Although, it does get mighty cold in the winter (which I try to sleep through), but I digress.

Entering the den, I nudged him awake and said, "Nibi, we have a visitor."

"Mrmh, what? A visitor?" he replied groggily, lifting his head.

"Yes, and I think she might be the enemy foretold by Amaterasu."

He growled irritably, "I have never heard of what you are talking about. What enemy? Why did you wake me up? It's too hot to be awake!"

"Calm down."

"No, you woke me up for no reason! I thought I told you to leave me alone. Now go away and let me sleep." He plopped back down and closed his eyes, both of his tails twitching.

Undeterred, I poked him and said, "You told me to leave you alone unless youkai come, in which case I am to tell you immediately."

"So?"

"So, there's a girl who may or may not be the source of one of the most powerful youkai auras I've ever felt. Now, you can mope around in your den all day, or you can investigate this suspicious girl and determine if she's evil or not."

His ears pricked, so I continued, "If she turns out to be a youkai in disguise, you may eat her. You would be vanquishing a great foe, and I'm sure the gods would reward you. However, if she is not evil, I am commanding you to accompany her from now on."

He opened his eyes and snarled at me, "And why should I do that?"

"You will because I need to know where that aura is coming from. The fate of Nippon depends on us finding and destroying the source of that aura. I am certain that the greatest evil that ever existed has been revived!"

The fox appeared to think it over, then grumbled, "Can't I just kill her, evil or not? If she's the source of the aura, shouldn't the aura die with her?"

"What?" I exclaimed, appalled, "Where did that come from? If that thought was ill-meant, I will not hesitate to inform the gods of your increasingly demonic attitude. Do not forget why you are here, and not dead! I convinced the gods to allow you to live, on the condition that you do not end up like your previous incarnation. How would you like to have been judged for something you might have never done?"

His ears flattened, "Point taken."

"Good, now run along. Get up and investigate this girl. And don't forget Kutone. You might need it." And with that, I left.

-:-

_15 minutes ago_

Leora's feet pounded against the pavement, weaving through the crowd. The thick summer heat radiated off the sidewalk in waves, creating a warped effect on the horizon. She glanced up and cursed, seeing the blurry forms of imps turning the corner; they were coming from that direction, too.

_Damn it, I should have lost those stupid apes ages ago. I didn't even hurt them that much, only threw a punch or two. Why did it have to be_ today _of all days that they finally decided to beat me up? It's my birthday, for crying out loud!_

Looking over her shoulder, she saw the horde of youkai behind her was gaining. Quickly, she glanced around for an escape route. Noticing the city park coming up on her left, Leora ducked under an incoming flute projectile. Then, she abruptly swerved off the street and into the park.

_Hopefully, I can hide in these trees and get them off my trail. Ugh, why must it be so hot?_

The girl wiped sweat from her forehead. She hadn't had water since the day before, and hadn't eaten food for three days. And then, running for her life in the blistering heat had really taken it out of her. Leora felt like her legs were about to buckle, but now was no time to crash. She had imps to lose.

Glancing over her shoulder again, Leora saw that the two groups of youkai had crashed into each other as a result of her quick misdirection. They were now stumbling about, trying to get their bearings. _Perfect._

Spotting an gigantic old cherry blossom tree, she slid behind it and dropped her backpack (a gift from her aunt), then tried to catch her breath. Suddenly, her legs decided to give up, and she landed on the ground with a thud. Leora could barely even muster enough energy to drag herself under a monstrous root before she passed out, utterly spent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I briefly considered creating my own demons, because I assume that demons change over time, such as the differences between Okami and Okamiden's imps. But then, I decided that it would require too much imagination. Next chapter: Leora meets the fox.


	3. The Split Mirror

_20 minutes later_

"Hey, little girl. Get up!"

Groaning, Leora tried to shove away whoever was bothering her, and her hand landed on a furry leg.

_...fur?_

Her mind struggled with the discovery.

"Come _on_ , kid. Wake up already!"

_Who's that? I don't know that voice..._

Creaking her eyes open, she squinted at the shadow above her... only to meet two bright, ruby eyes.

"AHHH!" she screamed, and crawled as fast as she could away from the demon.

"Finally. Hey, get back here! Oh no, there is no way you're getting away from me."

The demon took a large stride and leaped over the girl, blocking her from escaping. "Now, who are you?" he asked.

Scrambling to see where she was, Leora realized that the demon was not an imp, but a fox. Her eyes widened. He was _huge_! His shoulder probably went up to her hip when standing. And his fur, it was a brilliant white, marked only by red swirls around his head and torso, with a black stripe that ran down his snout. Two long, red-tipped tails trailed out behind him, branding him something to be feared. The thin sword on his back helped, too.

"Hello? Earth to the human. Will you stop staring at me? It's impolite."

"Uh, s-sorry. You're just... well, I've never seen a fox in person before."

"I'm not just any fox; I'm a two-tailed kitsune. There's a big difference, kid."

"My name's not 'kid', it's Leora!"

"Well, a pleasure to meet you, _Leora_. Have a last name to go with that?"

"N-no. Not anymore," she muttered. It was a touchy subject.

"Wonderful, now come with me." The fox turned to leave, clearly not caring to allow the girl any more time for dallying.

"Wait! Why the heck should I follow you? There's a pack of bloodthirsty imps after me, and I feel much safer behind this tree than out in the open with a giant demon fox that may or may not be planning to kill me!"

The fox paused and looked over his shoulder, a curious look on his face. "Imps, did you say?"

Leora nodded.

"Any idea where those imps are now?"

"Nope."

"Hmph," he huffed. "If you ever see them, tell me. I haven't had a good snack in days."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Like a demon would ever eat their own kind."

The fox was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you coming or not? I won't hesitate to drag you with me if I have to."

Leora turned her back to him and crossed her legs, clearly unwilling to go anywhere.

"The hard way it is." The fox then proceeded to grab the collar of her sweater in his sharp teeth, and towed her along easily.

"Hey, _HEY_!" She started kicking and screaming, trying to land a hit on the fox's legs. "Let me go, let me go! You're leaving my backpack behind!"

"Will you follow me willingly?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"..."

"Then you'll have to get it later."

"Rrrgh. I hate you!"

"Nice to know, kid."

"I _told_ you! My name's Leora. Get it right for once! And the ground hurts."

The fox rolled his eyes. "You asked for it."

She pouted, then inquired, "Where are you taking me?"

"Inside the tree."

"You could have told me that," Leora said. "I would've just walked there, instead of being dragged. Won't you let go?"

"No, I'm pretty sure you're going to bolt as soon as I drop you."

"I'd never! Maybe... Do you have a name, Mr. Grumpy Fox?"

The demon seemed to consider the question, before he answered, "Nibi."

"Nibi? That's a very unimaginative name."

Nibi shrugged. "I'm completely fine with it."

Since the particular hollow in Konohana the fox was taking Leora to was now only a few meters away, he let go of her collar. As soon as she felt his grip loosen, Leora prepared to dash off. But what she didn't take into account was that her legs were still not in any shape to be walked on, let alone used to run. So, when she flopped on to her stomach and got on to her knees, Leora was surprised to find that she couldn't move. And then she promptly fell on to her face. The fox appeared to attempt a snicker, but it came out as a coughing sound.

_Damn you, legs!_

"Do you need any help?" Nibi taunted.

"No," Leora huffed. "I can manage fine on my own."

"Suit yourself." He sat down and waited.

First, she grabbed a nearby root to help pull herself up. Then, when she felt steady enough to stand independently, she looked towards the inside of the tree. But all she saw was white light. _What kind of tree is this?_

"Hey, Nibi... why is the tree radiating light?"

"That's because it's a portal. Come on."

"Seriously? You never said anything about portals!"

"Didn't I? Oh, I'm _sorry_ ," Nibi replied sarcastically.

"No, I am not going!"

"Don't make me drag you again."

_Oh, for goodness' sake!_

"Fine, _FINE_! I'll go through the stupid portal glowy thing. Just promise me we'll come back, okay?" Leora pleaded.

Nibi sighed, "Yeah, alright. Just go already, I'll follow you."

Mustering her courage, Leora held onto the tree's trunk and inched forward, little by little, until she couldn't see anything but white. She felt the bark beneath her fingers turn into smooth stone, and the white filling her vision soon fell away into black. But then her eyes started to adjust to the change in lighting and she gasped.

The first thing she saw was a lush field, full of beautiful white flowers. Above, the night sky was glittering with the light of billions of stars and a large crescent moon. _Is this... Heaven? Did I die?_

"Amazing, isn't it?" Nibi commented.

"What?" She asked, having zoned out. _If Nibi's here, then I can't be dead._ "Oh, yes. I never could have imagined a place like this even existed."

The fox had walked past her, and was now approaching a glowing mirror. So, Leora did her best to wobble over on her weak legs, determined to keep up.

"Now what? And what the heck is this thing?"

Nibi looked at Leora, an unreadable expression on his face. "This is an origin mirror. It 'reflects' the past of whoever looks into it. They used to be all over the place, and were commonly used as reminders. But then, humanity started to grow rapidly, and most were destroyed in great wars. This is the last one left in existence."

"Oh. So, you want to show me your past so I'll trust you, is that it?" There was a slightly confused look in her eyes.

Clearly amused, the fox responded, "No. _You_ are going to be the one looking into the mirror, not me."

Leora glared angrily at Nibi. "My memory's just fine, thank you. And I'd rather NOT show my past to strange fox demons with questionable intentions. Why should I?"

"Because I know where to get food."

"Oh, ho ho! Are we resorting to bribery, now? I'm not hungry." Leora hated to admit it, but her mouth watered at the thought of any sort of nourishment. _How long has it been since I last ate?_ She shuddered.

Unfortunately, her stomach betrayed her by growling. Very loudly.

Nibi smirked.

"You evil, _evil_ fox. Just you wait, I'll get revenge for this!"

He yawned. "Will you look into the mirror already? Get it over with and I promise I'll feed you. Deal?"

"Okay," she gave up. "Deal." _But I'm never going to forgive you... This mirror probably doesn't even work! Stupid fox._

Stepping up to the pedestal, the light from the mirror seemed to warp for a moment. Then, it settled on an image of three figures: two tiny and one giant. One of the small figures was distinctly humanoid, while the other seemed to be hunched over on four legs. But the large figure was by far the strangest, with eight appendages attached to a bell. They appeared to be fighting.

Not recognizing anything, Leora followed the movements of the figures in confusion. The big one and the hunched one appeared to be the main combatants, while the human-looking one mostly stood off to the side. The hunched one was circling the big one. Sometimes, one of the appendages would spit something at the hunched figure, and other times they would fall to the ground. Eventually, though, the big one seemed to be winning. And then, the humanoid figure jumped in, detaching the appendages from the bell just as the hunched one stopped moving.

Cracks started forming on the reflection.

When the humanoid figure began to slash the last appendage, a loud shriek ripped through the mirror, splitting the image in half. Leora jumped back from the offending sound, trying to cover her ears, and crashed into Nibi (who was watching).

And then the imps attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. Ouch. If you were wondering why Leora seemed to be somewhat okay with talking foxes and portals, recall the fact that she has been able to see and hear demons her whole life. Also, I assume 'Niibi' means 'Twotails', so I just subtracted one of the i's because otherwise it's awkward to look at. I tried to be as vague as possible with the mirror scene, but hopefully you recognized the story. Next chapter: Nibi fights some imps.


	4. The Sacred Sword

_500 years ago_

Cold, white flakes drifted to the ground, gradually drowning the land of Kamui in a sea of snow. A lone figure was the only disturbance on the barren blanket, his footprints a temporary mark of his presence. His face was hidden by a fox mask, a strong tradition of the Oina, and appeared to be carrying a bundle of branches.

Nibi sighed heavily. _I hate being the one to fetch wood. Why can't the children do it? My arms get tired enough with all the training I go through every day._

Glancing up at the sky, he shivered. Darkness was falling; it always seemed to arrive earlier in winter. It lasted longer, too. And with the night, demons of all sorts would come in search of victims. Nibi was a demon himself, as a matter of fact, and the only one ever accepted to apprentice under the great Master Kayano. For good reason.

Master Kayano was known throughout Nippon as one of the best teachers of ancient Oina culture and fighting styles. He insisted upon living at the base of two large volcanoes on the northern island of Hokkaido, making him hard to reach. The test he required all potential candidates for apprenticeship to complete was so difficult, almost every student was turned away. But he was not just any teacher.

What most people did not know, was that Master Kayano was the last in a long line of caretakers, all dedicated to protecting a single sword. A sacred, legendary blade named "Kutone".

A long time ago, a prophecy was passed down among the Oina tribe, marking the sword as its people's savior. It was said that "the wall of ice shall shatter and open the way to the heavens, when Kutone, the guardian sword, glows silver." No one knew the true meaning of the words, so the blade had been lodged in a pedestal on the shore of a frozen lake, awaiting the day it would finally be drawn. But it wasn't to be.

As time dragged on, people from Nippon started moving to the northern land of Kamui, and Kutone's security was compromised. The natives began assimilating into the foreigners' society. Traditions were forgotten. The Oina tribe was falling apart.

The last of the warriors, a man named Okikurmi, removed Kutone from its pedestal and isolated himself, guarding the sword against foreign invaders. He knew that Kutone and the Oina culture had to be preserved, no matter what. So, he started documenting their history and traditions; their way of life. The task took him many years to complete, and he had grown old. Oki wisely began mentoring a successor, teaching him both fighting techniques and of his heritage.

This successor was a poncle named Issun.

Now, Issun had run away from home after a particularly big fight with his grandfather, the reasons for which are entirely different story whatsoever. He had been traveling all over Nippon, in search of artistic inspiration, when he came upon Oki. It was around this time that the old warrior had begun feeling the effects of his age, and was considering training an apprentice. The tiny poncle, only an inch in height, nearly gave Oki a heart attack when he appeared on his doorstep, but this was not because of his size.

No, the real reason for Oki's shock was that poncles were thought to have become extinct when their forest home, Yoshpet, had burned down in a fire.

When Oki told this to Issun, the poncle was devastated. Apparently, he had left shortly before that fateful night. With no family and no home to return to, Issun abandoned his life as a wanderer and started living with Oki. He learned the ways of the Oina, and decided to paint depictions of their legends. When Oki died, he passed Kutone down to Issun, and Issun passed it down to his successor, and so on, until it came to Kayano.

It was Master Kayano's 99th birthday. He had begun training Nibi, a two-tailed kitsune, 24 years ago.

The story of how Nibi had come to be apprenticed to Master Kayano is a lengthy one. If the author gets enough readers asking to hear it, she will post it as a side-story. Let's just say that it involves an angry rat, an old tree, and two owls.

Well then, back to the kitsune in the snow.

Nibi entered his master's home and dropped the wood in a basket to dry. The interior was lit by a warm fire, welcoming visitors out of the cold. It had to be tended to carefully else it went out. Bookshelves covered the walls completely, each filled to the brim with ancient tomes. Nibi had read all of them.

He looked around the house and called, "I'm back! Master?"

No one answered.

_Where could Master have gone?_

The last time he had seen him, Kayano was sitting in front of the hearth, yelling at him to get some wood. It was not unusual for him to disappear without warning, only to turn up again hours later. So Nibi thought nothing of it. He grabbed a book about the various beliefs concerning cranes and settled down to wait for his master's return.

-:-

_Present day_

Quickly untangling himself from the human, Nibi jumped away from the shattered mirror and faced the imps. It was a large group of seven; six green and one red. Easy prey for a kitsune. Of course, even if he'd come without Kutone they would still be sitting ducks. But Nibi was hungry, and defeating them with ink wouldn't leave a corpse to feed on. So, he readied his sword.

Forgotten, Leora recovered and crawled behind the broken mirror, hoping that the imps would be too occupied to notice her.

And the battle erupted.

Nibi knew that without the leader of the pack, the green imps would be confused and disorganized, even with the strength in numbers. Just how he liked them. So, he dashed to the red imp first and swung Kutone, causing the surprised demon to raise its lute in defense. Then, he concentrated on the sharp edge of his sword.

What Nibi was attempting to do was apply his aura around Kutone, temporarily enhancing its power. The art was exclusive to demons and, supposedly, long forgotten. This was because the amount focus required to shape something as formless as an aura around a blade, never mind in the midst of battle, was immense. The skill took decades to perfect, and the majority of demons were too impatient to bother learning. However, a thousand years ago there was a rumor circulating that a simple _wolf_ had learnt the power. But most had dismissed the claim as a result of too much sake. No wolf has been seen using the power since.

Regardless, an underling jumped in front of Nibi and prepared to shoot its flute in his face, forcing him to break his stare and jump out of the way. _Stupid imps._

Deciding not to risk using his aura again, he supposed a little ink wouldn't hurt. Or in the red imp's case, the opposite. Nibi sprung into the air and out of reach. Then, he lifted his second tail and started to draw with the crimson tip on an invisible canvas, almost as if it was a brush. The tail moved in a straight, horizontal motion and suddenly, the red imp's lute was cut in half. While he was falling, Nibi lifted Kutone and stabbed the demon's head, killing it instantly. Its blood splattered his fur.

Upon landing, Nibi noticed that the imp who had broken his concentration was screeching at him. Irritated by the harsh noise, he slashed across its torso, leaving a group of four uncertain of victory.

Deciding to play with his food for a bit, being the sadistic fox that he is, Nibi stayed still and waited for the next lucky imp to come forward.

Three of the imps backed away, leaving a braver one in front. It cackled, "I'm not afraid a' you! We've heard about a kitsune that obeys a mere wood sprite. What a disgrace to the name a' demons! Would that happen to be you, fox-breath?"

"Shut up," Nibi growled, and raised Kutone.

"Oh, so it _is_ you! What kind a' weakling do you have to be, letting a little sprite order you arou–"

Nibi roared, "I said SHUT UP!" And he stabbed the imp through the heart. It fell to the ground, dead. _Note to self: Do not let food talk._

The remaining three imps then tried to cut their losses and flee, but Nibi wasn't about to allow a good meal slip through his paws. He slashed their legs to prevent them from escaping and beheaded them expertly. Nibi then inspected his pelt and was irritated to find that he hadn't killed them as cleanly as usual, with blood staining his fur and making it sticky. He'd have to wash it off later. But now, he would eat. Fangs glistening with saliva, Nibi proceeded to devour the imps.

-:-

_1 minute later_

When Leora finally decided to peek from behind the mirror, she was stunned to find that the entire group of seven laid on the ground, dead, with Nibi eating them. An unusual sight. _Understatement of the century._

With every sickening squelch of flesh being torn from bone, Leora cringed. She couldn't _believe_ she was seeing this. And all the blood. Nibi was completely drenched in it. Whether he was hurt or not, Leora didn't know. The blood was covering any wounds that may have been there.

Her stomach twisted with disgust.

"Uh... Nibi?"

He took a moment to finish the scrap he was chewing, then answered, "What?"

"Are you gonna tell me where my food is or not?"

"Oh, that's right. We made a deal."

"Well?" she asked, eager to get away from the fox as soon as possible.

Nibi turned his head to glare at Leora, "However, I don't recall asking you to break. The. Fucking. Mirror."

"W-wait, what?! I didn't break it! It just cracked on its own!"

"The mirror was perfectly fine until you looked into it, _human_." Nibi was on his feet now, slowly approaching.

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear! I think the shadow in the mirror broke it."

"What shadow?" the fox paused, tilting his head in confusion.

"Th-there were shadows... in the mirror. Didn't you see?"

"No. The mirror was blank, and then you broke it without warning. But it's possible that the mirror showed something to you and only you. Would you mind telling me what you supposedly 'saw'?"

"Er, okay." And she described the scene of the three fighting figures.

When Leora finished, Nibi sat back and seemed to consider what she had said.

"A strange story, but familiar somehow."

"So do you believe me?"

He stared at her for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You don't seem like the deceitful type, anyways."

Leora looked relieved.

Nibi continued, "You'll find the promised food within the Cave of Nagi. It's just up the path. Don't even think about running away, though. The only way back to the park is through the portal we came from."

"Thank you!" she said as she got up.

"Oh, and I'll meet you there as soon as I'm done with these imps."

"Hmph," Leora huffed. "Wash all that blood off while you're at it. It's sickening."

"Yeah, fine."

And so, she departed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out. I was caught up in beta-reading and weird plot stuff. I made the chapter a bit longer to make up for it. And yes, I will post a side-story of how Nibi came to be apprenticed to Master Kayano if I get enough requests for it. Next chapter: Leora gets drunk.


	5. The Hidden Serpent

 

 

_1 hour later_

Leora flopped down on the ground, utterly exhausted. She had just reached the top of the slope leading up to the cave, and her whole body was protesting loudly.

The journey from the mirror to the cave had turned out to be a lot longer than "just up the path". In fact, she'd almost turned around halfway through. Nibi hadn't bothered to mention the freaking river and a _cliff_ , which she could only just barely get past. It had taken Leora many failed attempts at scaling the sheer wall before she gave up and started looking for another way over.

Fortunately, when she'd been on the brink of going back to Nibi and demanding a refund, she spotted a ladder hidden conspicuously behind a giant boulder nearby. Upon climbing the ladder, she'd been extremely relieved to find a river ahead. Sure, the expanse of beautiful starry water blocked her path, but Leora jadn't cared; after three days of no food and an entire day without any kind of liquid, she could finally have a drink! Right?

_Right?!_

Wrong.

The "water" had not actually been water, but a river of starlight, as Leora discovered. When she'd attempted to drink by cupping her hands, she was burned. Literally _burned_ , almost as if the water had been fire. Crying out in sheer agony, she had quickly withdrawn her hands and wiped off the offending liquid on her shorts. _What kind of water_ burns _? Is it acid or something?_ She'd let out a relieved sigh as the pain faded away, but the air rushing through her mouth exacerbated the discomfort of her parched throat. She really needed water.

Forced to continue on in search of food again, Leora had discovered a wooden bridge spanning the river downstream. It had been built by Yomigami many centuries ago to allow a certain kitsune access to the Cave of Nagi. However, it had come with great penalty, for he wasn't the only one who could cross. All kinds of demons that had previously been kept away from the sacred cave by the river could now defile the land surrounding it, which was why Leora felt a chill creep down her spine when she approached the other side. Here, the demons waged war on the rat god, Tachigami, and gradually began turning the area into a small curse zone. Fortunately for Leora and any other visitors to the Cave of Nagi, the process was far from completion. The rat appeared to be holding his own, and would so long as the cave's entrance was guarded.

But that still didn't stop the demons from turning the place into a little patch of Hell.

The ground was blackened, all of the flora from the river banks to the cave had withered and died. The streams were made of brown muck and no animals populated the area. Leora had been alone, completely and utterly alone as she walked up the path to the cave, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Her eyes darted from side to side, nervously keeping watch for any movement, but all was still.

She had been walking for a couple minutes when she came to the base of a large hill. This hill was by far the most intimidating obstacle that lay between Leora and her food, she had realized as her legs started giving up at the mere sight of it. But she'd forced them to keep her upright. She wouldn't have been getting any closer to the food if she'd collapsed then, and pitifully relying on help from the stupid fox would have damaged her pride more than she'd ever care to admit. No, Leora had been determined to conquer this new adversary. If she could scale a sheer cliff and cross a river of starry acid, then she could damn well hike up a hill.

And she did. Well, not after slipping and falling on the stairs way too many times to have emerged unscathed. A couple times she could've sworn she heard mocking snickers, but blamed it on her paranoia that Nibi would appear and see her in such a sorry state.

But finally, and I mean _finally_ , she had reached the cave that'd taken far too much trouble to reach. Which brings us to now, with Leora on her back trying to catch her breath, the poor girl. She waited until her legs stopped feeling numb, then shakily got up and made her way into the Cave of Nagi.

The first thing she noticed about the cavern was that it was completely void of the demonic influence that plagued the land outside. The pure air was refreshing, if a bit overwhelming, encouraging Leora to take deep breaths as she approached the center of the cave. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the change in lighting, but soon she could make out moonlight gleaming on a statue the size of a skyscraper.

Looking around the rather large room, she confirmed that the statue seemed to be the only thing in the cave. And what a monument it was! A powerful-looking warrior, in armor, that was pointing an elegant sapphire sword skyward. Sure, it was covered in vines, yet it still had the power to evoke awe in observers. _But he looks familiar, for some reason._

However, before she could examine the statue closer, Leora's eyes caught a glint of light reflecting from the surface of a clay gourd at its foot. And beside the gourd there was a large plate. And on that plate there was a pile of _cherry cakes!_

 _WIN! I guess that fox was being truthful after all._ Leora promptly jumped off the ledge she was on like she wasn't starving at all and sprinted to the base of the statue, skidding to a stop and immediately stuffing as many cakes in her mouth as she could. _Oh my god, THESE ARE SO GOOD!_ She nearly cried with happiness, but didn't because only weak people cry.

Leora forced herself to slow down after nearly choking, but no matter how much she ate the plate never seemed to empty. At first, she didn't notice because she was focused on filling her aching stomach, but after eating what must have been over two dozen cherry cakes, her mind began to register that there was no way the plate could have held that much food.

Picking up the plate, she examined it more closely to reveal no secret compartments or anything of the sort. It was just a plain old plate. After deciding to bring it with her (you just don't find a never-ending food supply like this), Leora's throat reminded her to find something to drink soon, lest it turn into a desert. Checking behind herself to make sure she hadn't missed something obvious, like a lake, she noticed a depression in the cave floor.

A long time ago, there had been a pond in front of the statue. But since then, the water had dried up from the lack of streams, which were filled with muck from the unhealthy amount of demons in the area. So, Leora turned back to the clay gourd. She tentatively sniffed it to see if it really held water, which it did not.

No, the gourd smelled of alcohol, most likely sake; just her luck.

Leora had only tasted alcohol once in her life, and that was when she was desperate enough to lick the last drops from an empty wine bottle in a trash bin. The taste was so bad, she had vowed to never drink alcohol again. But this was yet another desperate situation, and honestly, she could care less about what it tasted like so long as it wasn't muck or starry acid.

It was with an iron resolve that she picked up the gourd, which was actually quite heavy for its size, and took a sip. The cool liquid burned its way down her throat, relieving the dryness, but not satisfying her thirst. She almost considered stopping, but a soothing sensation had settled over her senses and she found herself drinking more. _I guess sake isn't all that bad..._

When Leora drank enough to start feeling dizzy, a buzzing sound started in her head. She didn't know if it was a side-effect of drinking too much alcohol underage or what, but all of a sudden she just didn't feel like moving anymore. This was the happiest she'd felt in a long time, and she decided to just lay down and doze for a while.

_I might... just give alcohol another... chance someday, if I get to it..._

And with that last thought, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

-:-

_10 minutes later_

Nibi sat back with a contented look on his furry face. He had just finished eating the last demon, burying any demon fangs in a pit marked by a carefully placed rock. Now, with fur completely drenched in blood and a full stomach, he set off for the Cave of Nagi.

He wondered how Leora had managed on her little trip. Obviously, she hadn't come back so she must have either collapsed or, by some slim chance, made it. Really, if the girl couldn't handle such a short distance then she wasn't worth his time. He was actually quite disappointed in her apparent weakness, and questioned Sakuya's insistence (for about the billionth time) that she was the source of _any_ demonic aura, let alone powerful. But then again, the mirror broke.

Thinking back to the incident, he tried to recall any instances where an Origin mirror would shatter without outside influence. _None, that's just it._ Mirrors of that type and power just don't shatter like that, not even one so old. _I suppose someone may have been trying to communicate with Leora, but they would either have to be Amaterasu herself or have power that rivals hers. And I know the great goddess well enough that she'd never stress a mirror so much that it breaks. Especially if it's the last one in existence._

 _So the culprit must be insanely powerful, but not Amaterasu. Who could have such power? The only beings besides the gods who ever came close to her level were Orochi, a mysterious Ruler of Darkness, and maybe Kyuubi._ Nibi kicked a pebble that conveniently lay in his path. _I don't like this situation at all._

Being a trickster himself, the naturally suspicious part of Nibi was extremely strong. A shattered mirror was also bad luck, if he cared to believe in such things. But he was very young for a kitsune. Sometimes, his inexperience scared him. It was at times like these that he needed someone older and wiser. _Hopefully, Sakuya will be able to tell me what's going on._

Absently, Nibi leaped over the cliff and made it to the River of the Heavens. He remembered when this river had been the source of great hardship for him. It was some hundred years ago, and he had been searching for Tachigami to learn Power Slash. The river was impassable to demons, its starry water like poison to their flesh. However, humans and gods could swim across easily, so the cave on the other side proved to be an ideal spot to host a monument that honored human warriors. Tachigami had hidden in the statue, which portrayed Nagi, when Shiranui died.

By pestering Yomigami, the god of Rejuvenation, to make a bridge across, Nibi had annoyed the dragon so much that he consulted Amaterasu. The old god had been very wary of Nibi's intentions and sparked a conflict between Sakuya (who was sick of the kitsune's complaints of being powerless) and the gods (who wished to keep any and all demons away from the sacred cave). The debate was long and tedious, but finally, Amaterasu consented with building a bridge under the conditions that Waka, a prophet who had previously been the guard of the Moon Cave, would protect the monument. As Nibi crossed the bridge, he observed that Waka hadn't been doing his job very well.

Upon closer inspection, the ground was blackened by billions of tiny demonic blobs of soot. River demons had turned the beautiful, crystal-clear streams into polluted waste and bile. The trees were long dead and scored in claw marks by territorial demons. But worst of all, the air reeked of their foul breath. Living in the world of humans had desensitized Nibi's nose to the most common unpleasant fumes, but it had been centuries since he had been exposed to the sheer disgusting atmosphere of a high demon population.

His fur stood on end, his tails swished in aggravation and his ears flattened against his skull. Nibi knew that most demons wouldn't attack him just for passing through, but he could never be too careful. He began to wonder if Leora had been eaten. If Waka had been slacking off so much, maybe he wouldn't care if he failed to protect a weak human. _Oh no, if Sakuya finds out that I let an innocent little girl die..._ He shuddered and bared his teeth, quickening his pace.

It wasn't long before he reached the top of the hill, and as soon as he arrived he noticed something had gone horribly wrong. He had expected Waka to at least protect the cave, but it was now the source of an even stronger demonic aura. Exactly how strong, he didn't know. _Curiosity killed the cat..._ Nibi's wiser side warned. But he discarded caution and decided to investigate.

Entering the gloom of the cave, he searched for the source. The aura had a consistent signature, so it had to be a single demon and not many. It also felt dormant, as if it was sleeping, which confused Nibi. _Why would a demon be_ sleeping _so close to a god?_ And then he noticed the girl at the base of the statue.

She looked like Leora, smelled like Leora, but didn't have the aura of Leora. If he judged by aura alone, he would never have known that there was a human in the room. _How can that be?_

Hesitantly, Nibi called out, "Hey, kid?"

She didn't stir. Ignoring the instinct to flee, he carefully approached the sleeping girl.

The aura was coming from her. _No, no, no! Impossible! I refuse to believe it!_ However, it was undeniable. She and Nibi were the only two living things in the cave, and there were two demonic auras. But Nibi still couldn't believe that he, a kitsune, had been tricked. Stubbornly, he started nudging Leora awake so that he could get answers, but almost immediately regretted it.

The already powerful aura seemed to explode with the force of hate, irritation, and frustration, engulfing Nibi instantly. Terrified, he scrambled to get as far away from the girl as possible, but froze when he backed into a sheer cliff. There was no way out.

Meanwhile, the aura gathered into a spiraling black cloud of fury, climbing up the statue until it reached the tip of the sword. Nibi's ruby eyes widened as he watched it take a serpentine shape and coil around the statue. It looked like a gigantic snake.

On Nibi's back, Kutone shuddered at the onslaught of pure evil. The cave began to mimic Kutone's movements as the terrifying aura condensed into a strikingly familiar form, but Nibi only realized exactly _what_ it was when a helm marked by fire covered the end of the cloud.

"Orochi…" he hissed. "It can't be…"

The cave was filled by a dark, rumbling sound, which soon grew into the unmistakable roar of laughter. The snake was _laughing_ at Nibi.

"Ohohohohoho! What have we here, a young kitsune?"

Offended, but not brave enough to counter, Nibi just stood there and stared. It didn't matter, though, because the snake just kept on talking.

"If I was alive, I think you'd make a good snack, much better than those imps I used to eat all the time," Orochi mused. This, however, went too far for Nibi.

Red eyes blazing, Nibi exclaimed, "I'd kill you before you even got the chance!"

"Heh… do you really think you could?" asked Orochi. "That toothpick of a sword would do nothing against my armor." Then, the snake slowly extended his neck from the statue until his eyes were level with Nibi's. Orochi's foul breath engulfed the kitsune, so that he had to fight the urge to hurl.

"Hmm… those eyes… I know I've seen them somewhere before." Orochi mused.

Nibi, on the other hand, puffed out his fur and boasted, "I am the reincarnation of the great Kyuubi and by Amaterasu's decree, I will be the one to destroy you!"

Rage immediately filled Orochi, along with some confusion. "You jest! A demon would never champion the gods. It is against our nature. Why do you fight for those who would purify you?" Orochi exclaimed.

"I… because I have to. They'll kill me if I don't," Nibi growled.

A devious glint crept into the serpent's eyes; that got Orochi's attention. "Who are they to command a demon, especially one with the soul of the Ninetails? With the right guidance, you could grow to become as powerful as me."

"I know!" Nibi found himself agreeing, also relaxing his stance. "I could be so much stronger than I am now."

Orochi grinned in a twisted imitation of a smile."How about this: you help revive me, and I'll make you more powerful than Kyuubi ever dreamed of being. Then, we'll destroy the gods and rule the world together!" Orochi said, already plotting their demise.

Nibi had to admit, the offer of power and revenge on the gods was extremely tempting, but he had to make sure the snake would keep his promise. Silent for a moment, he quickly assessed what to bargain for. "Alright, I'll agree to this… arrangement, but only on one condition. Sakuya must not be harmed."

"Sakuya? You mean the old tree sprite? Why would you want to protect _her_?" Orochi asked, perplexed. This would complicate things.

"She is the only family I have since my parents were slaughtered by a human," Nibi sighed irritably. That was another reason why he hated humans. "Also, how do you intend to train me if you are trapped in a human body and unconscious all the time?"

Orochi looked smug. "Simple: I won't be training you. Have you ever heard of the Fox Rods?"

"The _what_?"

"I guess you haven't. The Fox Rods are powerful. They are what allowed Kyuubi to become almost invincible! Which is just as well, because I won't be telling you their location until you find the rest of my body, including my bell and my missing heads."

"Alright, fine. I accept your proposal. How do I start?" Nibi asked. He felt like he had just sold his soul to the devil, which was stupid because he was a _demon_.

"First, you must get that gourd of sake over there."

Nibi complied and picked up the gourd by the string tied around its middle.

"Good," Orochi said. "Keep that gourd with you at all times. It contains a sleeping Kasugami. Slip a drop of the sake into the girl's drink if you wish to speak with me. When she falls asleep, I'll take over for a short while. I guess I should also remind you that since I am trapped in her body, you must protect her until we have the rest of my soul and the bell ready."

"Right. Anything else?"

"The girl knows where the bell is. It's up to you to retrieve it, since I have no way of communicating with my incarnation. But above all else, _do not_ let the gods know about this. I am smarter than to alert them of my revival and you'll be dead, too, if we're caught." Orochi's smoky form began to fade. "My time awake is growing short. The girl drank some alcohol and passed out, so make sure she doesn't die. Also, beware of the Moon Tribe man. He is the greatest threat at the moment…" And with that, Orochi's form dissolved.

Feeling somewhat shocked that the past few minutes had actually occurred, Nibi shook out his somewhat-bloodied fur and stared at Leora. There was no trace of Orochi's powerful demonic aura. Sighing, Nibi began the long and strenuous process of propping her on his back and retrieving the gourd of sake. Then, he trudged out of the cave and back to the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Wow, it's been so long... School raised its ugly head and I also had to work out most of the back-story. I had a bit of trouble writing the conversation between Nibi and Orochi. Hopefully, it's not too awkward. Next chapter: We meet the half-baked prophet.


	6. The Vital Bell

_1 year ago  
_

Nadeshiko sighed.

Another birthday spent in her room. She might have been mad, if this were not the norm. Any sane person would be, at least. But of course, she was not exactly sane.

She had been banished to her boring sanctuary after a particularly bad interaction with her psychologist, who had accidentally insulted her dead mother. Her father had been furious when Nadeshiko refused to cooperate, and so, here she was. It's not like she really was insane, people just thought she was because they couldn't see what she saw. It wasn't her fault, her aunt always told her. Nadeshiko was born special.

She wondered when her aunt would arrive. Not for a while, at least. That gave her some time for reading.

Nadeshiko rose from her bed and lazily drifted over to the bookshelf. She had never really liked history or the sciences, but what had always fascinated her were fantasies. She picked out a small book with a worn cover. There was nothing about the story that she really liked, but her mother had often read it to her when she was little. It was about a typical distressed Princess and her Prince Charming, who eventually end up living happily ever after. Nadeshiko had never considered it to be realistic, but it was only now as she was flipping through it that she realized that the Prince was too perfect, and the Princess was too distressful. Nadeshiko stopped reading.

She decided that the hype over the psychologist incident should have died down by now, allowing her to sneak into the back garden. Being in the garden was always a more preferable option over her room, not only because of the plants but also because all of her friends lived there. Nadeshiko slipped off her shoes and opened the door, then crept outside without making a sound.

This was a normal occurrence in the household. She and the maids had an unspoken pact that no one would tell her father if Nadeshiko was seen outside of her room while grounded. It was the maids' way of secretly getting back at the cruel patriarch and Nadeshiko's way of seeing her friends.

So, Nadeshiko's feet touched only the places where the old wooden floorboards didn't creak. The maids couldn't help her if she was caught for making noise. She peeked around a corner cautiously to check for her father. No one there. Letting out a sigh of relief, Nadeshiko quickly proceeded to enter the garden.

Being from a very rich Japanese family, Nadeshiko's house was constructed around a beautiful pond. Flowering trees dropped their petals on the water, and crickets chirped. This place had always been her playground. It was the home of her kami friends.

Nadeshiko cheerfully approached the stone lucky cat statue. Curled up between its ears was her best friend, Yoru. His black fur nearly camouflaged him completely against the dark stone, but Nadeshiko could clearly make out his pink nose. The cat appeared to be sleeping.

Nadeshiko whispered, "Psst, Yoru. Wake up!"

Yoru yawned dramatically, waiting to see if the girl would give up and leave, before opening a single emerald eye to regard his friend. "You woke me up from a very pleasant dream. There'd better be a good reason," he hissed.

Nadeshiko rolled her eyes, "I'm bored."

"Then find something else to do _besides_ disturbing catnaps."

"You know, Father blames me for the hat you stole," Nadeshiko continued.

Both eyes open now, Yoru started purring, "Does he, now? Was he angry?"

"Very much so, yes. He's searched everywhere but can't find it. He seems to believe that I've been hoarding a pile of his things somewhere under the floorboards."

"Well, I suppose that's half true. Except you aren't the one who's hoarding them. All of the things I've stolen are in Mr. Tanuki's paws now. Speaking of whom, why don't you go bother him, who'd be tickled silly to enjoy your company, rather than keeping me from my nap?" Yoru suggested hopefully.

Nadeshiko was surprised she hadn't thought of it before. "You know what, Yoru? I think I will!"

The cat waved his tail in dismissal as he went back to sleep. Nadeshiko gave him a pat on the head before leaving the garden and making her way to her home's entrance. "Mr. Tanuki" made his den beneath the front porch. He fancied himself a collector of sorts, even though most of the things he collected were junk. He and Nadeshiko were old friends, and Mr. Tanuki often showed her many of his treasures and told tales of how he'd gotten each one. His stories were outlandish, but that was part of the reason why she loved them so much. He would surely occupy Nadeshiko's time until her aunt arrived.

Getting down on her hands and knees, being totally unafraid of dirtying her kimono, Nadeshiko crawled through the opening of Mr. Tanuki's den. It was very dark underneath the porch, but cavernous from the extensive digging by its occupant. She was immediately greeted by Mr. Tanuki, who said, "Welcome, welcome! To what do I owe the occasion? Oh, yes! It's your birthday today. I'm terribly sorry, it completely slipped my mind."

"It's fine, really!"

"No, no. Of course it isn't! How old are you now? Twelve, thirteen...?"

Nadeshiko boasted, "I am fourteen!"

"My goodness, you've grown up fast! I think this requires a very special item for a very special day, yes?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Good! Now, let me see here..." Mr. Tanuki disappeared into the darkness, and a lot of crashing was heard as he searched for the item that he wished to show her. Finally, after a few minutes of muttered curses, Mr. Tanuki reappeared, carefully handling a small object.

"What is it?" Nadeshiko wondered.

"This, my dear, is an ancient artifact. It is an iron bell, said to be taken from the corpse of a powerful demon!"

"Can I touch it?"

"No! It's much too fragile. You may look, however."

Nadeshiko moved closer to Mr. Tanuki's outstretched hand, inspecting the small object. It didn't really look like a bell. It was split down the middle, and had no means by which to make a sound.

"Mr. Tanuki, where's the thingy that makes it ring?"

"It was taken out a long time ago, because it is said that whoever hears the chime of this bell will be trapped inside forever."

Wide-eyed, Nadeshiko backed away from the bell and examined it much more cautiously. Mr. Tanuki seemed pleased by her faith in his words.

"How about this. Since it's your birthday, why don't you keep the bell as a present?"

"What? I thought you said it was fragile!"

"Eh, this bell is as tough as adamant. I hardly have a use for it nowadays, and you seem to have some interest in its well-being."

"Really? You really mean it?!"

"Sure! You're the birthday girl, after all."

"Thank you, Mr. Tanuki!" Nadeshiko squealed as she hugged the nice old spirit. "I promise I'll keep it safe."

"Good!" Mr. Tanuki huffed as he gave her the bell.

With that, Nadeshiko heard the engine of a car pulling up outside. Peeking out, she recognized the car to be that of her aunt. "Just in time, too. Goodbye, Mr. Tanuki! And thank you again for the gift."

"It was my pleasure," he replied.

After making sure the coast was clear Nadeshiko carefully crawled back out from under the porch and crept into her room. A few glances from the maids told her that she hadn't been missed by her father, for which she was grateful. She made sure to change into a new kimono, since her old one was covered in dirt. Then, sighing in contentment, she flopped down on her bed and listened for the sounds of her aunt being greeted and shown inside.

In the meantime, she held up the bell close to her face, inspecting it for any unique features besides the obvious crack down the middle. There appeared to be a small hole at the top to allow it to be hung, but the chain was missing.

Nadeshiko got up from her bed and padded over to her jewelry box, which was practically untouched since it had been given to her for her sixth birthday; the year her mother died. Shaking off the depressing thoughts, Nadeshiko opened the box and took out a short silver chain, then pulled it through the bell. Now, she could wear it as a bracelet if she so wished.

Nadeshiko suddenly heard the front door open, a sure sign that her aunt had arrived. Placing the bell on her wrist, she exited her room and proceeded to the entrance, greeting her aunt with a flying leap hug.

Her father hadn't come yet, for which she was very grateful. He and her aunt never failed to get into arguments ever since Nadeshiko's mother died.

Oh, speak of the devil.

Her father entered the room, glaring at Nadeshiko for being outside of her room while grounded. "Nadeshiko, I do not recall giving you permission to greet your aunt. Go to your room and don't come out until I tell you to."

Knowing better than to argue when her father's in a bad mood, Nadeshiko complied, grumbling, "Yes, father."

As Nadeshiko reluctantly let go of her aunt and walked back to her room, she didn't miss the sneer her father gave her beloved aunt. This would almost definitely end up in a fight over who got to control what she did today. If her father won, she'd spend the rest of the day being punished for her misbehavior with the psychologist; but if her mother's sister won, she'd pack her things and spend the weekend at her aunt's house. Nadeshiko always rooted for her aunt.

Usually, she'd try and eavesdrop on the conversation/battle, but she knew her father would stay silent until he heard her bedroom door close. Plus, this one looked like it was gonna be an all-out war, if she judged by the mental daggers they were sending each other. If looks could kill, they'd both be dead already.

No, she was much better off in her room, doing absolutely nothing.

Nadeshiko sighed.

-:-

_Present day  
_

Nibi decided to take a break after he reached the base of the steps. He slid Leora's unconscious body off his back with a grunt, then put down the sake gourd, which supposedly held Kasugami. He glanced up at the starry night sky, and wondered what had just happened to him.

_I didn't really just have a civil conversation with a dead snake, did I?_ He looked over at Leora, perhaps to see if there was any difference in her now that he knew about Orochi. None; everything was the same as when he'd first met her. _I don't think she knows. If she did, she's either a fantastic liar or innocent to how evil Orochi really is._

Sighing, he began to reanalyze his deal with the snake. _Why doesn't Orochi have the rest of his heads? I'd heard that his corpse had disappeared from the Moon Cave one night a long time ago, but for him to be reincarnated as a single head... I wonder why that is? I guess that with fewer heads, he is less powerful, but who'd be able to separate his soul into eight pieces? Unless, they were never one soul to begin with!_

_That must be why he needs the bell. He said Leora would know where it is, but I can't ask her until she wakes up. Maybe I can get these "Fox Rods" before I unite Orochi's heads. I know he won't keep his promise to avoid harming Sakuya, so this might be the only way._

A few minutes had passed since he'd taken a break, so Nibi got back up and began carrying Leora again, remembering to bring the sake gourd, too. As he continued down the path, he eyed the surrounding dead trees warily. He remembered that the demons had allowed him safe passage before, and hoped that they'd continue to let him pass without a challenge. However, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.

Unknown to Nibi, Leora had felt the same way while she was on her way to the Cave of Nagi. Perhaps, if he'd known, Nibi would have realized that someone was indeed stalking him. But, of course, he didn't.

So, he continued on his way through the dead forest. When he finally reached the bridge over the River of the Heavens, the feeling of being watched had increased to the point where Nibi was constantly looking over his shoulder. Now, he was almost positive someone was following him.

When he took his first steps onto the bridge, he turned around and shouted, "I know you're there! Come out, what do you want?"

As he stared into the dead trees, nothing seemed to answer, until he felt an unnatural breeze whoosh by his ears and a tell-tale clack of wood on the bridge behind him. Then, a voice spoke, "Up to no good, oui?" At this, Nibi spun to face his stalker, while the voice continued, "Or do you have some other business kidnapping a young girl?"

The man, or rather, the prophet, was dressed in the clothes of a yamabushi. He had the cap of a tengu and had a katana on his hip. Nibi only knew one person who dressed like that, and he hadn't seen that man in a long time. Figures he'd show up now, when he had thought the half-baked prophet had abandoned this place.

"Get out of my way!" Nibi growled. He'd be damned if he let this guy stop him.

Waka twirled the flute in his hand, almost absentmindedly, then responded, "I'm afraid that is not possible, demon. I merely wish to know what mischief you're planning for the mademoiselle. If you tell me, I might let you pass."

"Why didn't you stop me earlier, if all you wanted to know was what I was doing? Seems a bit suspicious, if you ask me."

"I suppose, but I didn't say anything because I wanted to know what you would do if you thought no one was watching. And you did do some questionable things."

With a horrifying jolt, Nibi realized that Waka knew more than he was letting on. Now, he only needed a confirmation. Frantically, he began thinking up a lie to cover his actions. He didn't know how much exactly Waka had seen, but he reasoned that the prophet didn't know about Orochi. _If he did, I'd be dead right now, for sure._

Nibi knew he had the option of telling the truth, but if Orochi found out that Nibi had told on him, he'd never be able to find the Fox Rods. So he explained with a half-truth, "I found this girl collapsed inside the Cave of Nagi. I'm saving her."

Waka gave him a look, then he said, "I don't think that's all you've been doing. Can you explain to me why the last Origin Mirror in existence is shattered?"

_Damn, he knows about that, too. I can't say what really happened, or he'll know that Sakuya suspects Leora's demonic aura. The only reason why he hasn't felt it yet is probably because she's on my back._ He told a half-truth again, "I think this girl accidentally broke it when she looked in, but I don't know why."

Waka stepped closer, inspecting the fox for any signs of falsehood. When he found none, he said, "You don't seem to be lying, so you may go," Nibi sighed in relief, but it was too soon. "The mademoiselle, however, will come with me. She has damaged a sacred artifact, and must be brought before Amaterasu for punishment."

_I just waltzed into that one, didn't I?_ "What if I don't want to hand her over?"

"Then I'll have to take her by force." As the prophet said this, he pointed his flute at Nibi and struck a pose.

Nibi laughed, although he was panicking on the inside, "So be it, prophet!"

The battle started with Waka dramatically drawing his beam sword, Pillowtalk, and executing a variety of moves to try and intimidate Nibi. Then, he lunged.

Nibi, who had been prepared for an attack but not of such speed, only just barely dodged. Waka had to take a second to recover from such a quick move, which gave the fox the instant he needed to charge Kutone and slash at his back. The time taken charging the sword was too long, however, and Waka leapt out of reach.

When the prophet landed, he commented, "Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that, demon." Enraged, Nibi chased after Waka, trying to land a blow, but to no avail. _If only Kutone was longer, I could reach him._ Suddenly, Waka released a throwing sword at Nibi, and without thinking he invoked Power Slash with his second tail, deflecting the projectile into the ground. At this, Waka looked surprised for the first time. But it was only for a moment, and then the expression was replaced with his usual cool mask.

The fight continued, with Waka's attacks being more precise than Nibi's, and with Pillowtalk landing more hits than Kutone. The prophet continued to wear the fox down until he could hardly move, but Waka had sustained a few major blows as well. Time seemed to slow down for Nibi as his opponent threw one last sword at him, and this time, he didn't have the energy to dodge.

With a flash of pain, the blade lodged itself in Nibi's right eye, and blinded him.

Roaring and thrashing, the fox tried to find Waka, but he could not. The prophet slowly walked up to Nibi, saying, "You fought well, though why you would defend a girl who you supposedly have not met before is beyond me. Do not worry, she will be safe with me." And with that, Waka took pity on Nibi and knocked the poor fox unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter has been in the works for a while, but the second part was only an idea for a long time. For some reason, I find it very hard to write if I don't have everything planned out. I'm always afraid that I'll say something that I find needs to be changed later on. So, sorry for the gigantic gap between updates. I tried to make Waka as in-character as possible. Please, I hope you forgive me if something is wrong. Next chapter: Leora finally meets Sakuya, and Nibi must cope with his newly lost eye.


End file.
